Anatoly Sagalevich of Russia's Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, which owns the Mir submersibles, was quoted as saying that talks with BP officials had started soon after the accident, RIA Novosti says.

According to Platts, US President Barack Obama on Friday questioned BP for spending $50 million on an advertising campaign in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and paying $10.5 billion in shareholder dividends, saying his administration will make sure the company compensates victims of the disaster.

In remarks to reporters after a meeting with Gulf Coast state governors and state and federal spill response officials in Louisiana, the president also said he believes it is "way too early to be optimistic" about the odds of success of BP's latest effort to contain the spill, adding how well the containment system is working won't be clear for another 24 to 48 hours.